LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – No corporate Mondays for the Steelers as Mike Tomlin was pleased with the practice at St. Vincent College on Tuesday. Kendrick Green continues to get more reps at fullback, while a tight end became a passer. Highlights from Steelers Training Camp Tuesday.
Steelers were off on Monday and Tomlin didn't want to ease into a game-week and went with a full padded practice with some physical one-on-one drills.
"I didn't want to warm up to our work week," Tomlin said. "We have to be a group that works going into off days and works coming out of off days. We don't need to waste time. We don't need to have the corporate Monday morning or corporate Friday afternoon in terms of our progress. I thought they brought energy, enthusiasm and urgency to this work today."
Goal line work
Among the drills was the first true goal line opportunity. The ball placed at the one-and-a-half-yard line. The offense scored on the following plays
· Connor Heyward barely getting in on an inside handoff
· Pickett play action to Jaylen Warren in the flat
· Najee Harris run on lead block from Kendrick Green
· Mitch Trubisky play action to Zach Gentry
· Handoff to Connor Heyward as he ran to the right he threw a pass to a wide open Pat Freiermuth for a touchdown.
"We are going to work on it," Kenny Pickett said with a smile of Heyward's throw. "It was a little bit of a shotput. He's got to let that thing fly. We scored, that's all that matters."
The offense stopped on these plays
· Isaiahh Loudermilk and safety Trenton Thompson combine to keep Freiermuth out on an inside handoff
· Joey Porter, Junior stopped Connor Heyward
"Yeah, there are still a lot of stuff I want to clean up on," Loudermilk said. "I missed a couple of tackles that should have been mind. Everyday there is something to improve on, but I feel like I've been taking the right steps I want to take."
In his third season Loudermilk was singled out by Tomlin for his versatility as was DeMarvin Leal, Connor Heyward and Green.
Injuries
Safeties Tre Norwood and Keanu Neal did not practice Tuesday.
7 Shots
· Harris scored on a trap-play run
· Pickett scramble and threw high to Freiermuth for a TD
· Pickett incomplete to Pickens-maybe could have caught it (Peterson PBU)
· Pickett TD pass to Pickens in the flat
· Mitch Trubisky TD pass to Rodney Williams
· Trubisky fade TD to Darnell Washington and he really didn't even jump to get it
· Trubisky complete to Miles Boykin at the goal line (disputed)
1-on-1 tackling drill
Tomlin lined the running backs, wide receivers, defensive backs and linebackers in the middle of the field. They did a drill where the offensive player would get a five-yard cushion and try to get by the defender
· 6'5" Hakeem Butler was a star shedding several tackles. Kenny Robinson (who ran 1st team in 7 shots with Minkah Fitzpatrick) beaten on a few of them, but was able to get revenge with a low tackle on Butler
· Gunner Olszewski beat Porter badly a few times and then Dez Fitzpatrick beat Porter a few times as well with a spin move and then a side-step
· 35 pounds lighter, RB Anthony McFarland used his speed to beat LB Kwon Alexander multiple times, one where Alexander just grabbed air
Other notes
· XFL star corner Luc Barcoo had the lone interception of the day against Mason Rudolph
· Corner Levi Wallace has been steady all camp, not much talk about the corner who continues to just do his job
· Green's offensive snaps continue to grow as he did the most drills with the running backs as he has all camp including interior handoffs.
Steelers will hold one more practice on Wednesday at 1:55p at St. Vincent College before the first preseason game Friday night at Tampa Bay on KDKA-TV.
"It's going to be nice," Steelers nose tackle Montravius Adams said with a huge smile of finally getting a game. "It's going to be nice. That's all I can say, it's going to be nice."
